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“Or for both reasons.”
“True.”
“The dream to be free of my destiny was always an empty one.” She shrugged. “It just took me six years to figure it out.” She sighed and ran her fingers across the top of her temple. “Mallick’s hold over my family ends tonight, and I’ll find out the truth about Nana’s death one way or another.”
“I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”
After a good long while she whispered, “Okay.”
She moved toward him again, put her fingers against his skin. “He won’t win. I won’t let him, and when this is all over . . .”
Azaiel stared down at the woman who’d claimed every single cell in his body and felt himself tremble at her touch. He heard the question in her voice, and the answer in his heart was bittersweet. He bent down and brushed his mouth across hers. “The only way I could stay is if I was less than ordinary. If I wasn’t Seraphim.”
“Well, then.” She stilled beneath his touch. “That’s that.”
She pulled away and smiled. “It’s time. Let’s dance, shall we?”
Chapter 32
The night was moonless. A thick, heavy blanket of dark with only the glow from her candles to light the way.
Rowan felt ill, and every step that she took toward the clearing, she wanted to take another in the other direction and run until she couldn’t run anymore. Her head was heavy, and her heart full of pain.
The information that Azaiel had imparted wasn’t shocking. It wasn’t a huge revelation. Hell, she’d known all along that this supernatural A-team wasn’t your run-of-the-mill operation. And she was proud that
her grandmother had been part of their group. Their League of Guardians.
I want him.
And that was the heart of her pain. Azaiel. In a few hours she might not even exist in this realm, and if she did succeed . . . she was bound to her family and he was bound to this League . . . this group of warriors.
They could never be together. Those had been his words. They fucking sucked.
“Miss Rowan. We’re almost there.” Cedric spoke quietly, and her focus shifted. The clearing was dead ahead; she saw candles burning through the trees.
“Are you sure you want to stay, Cedric?” She glanced at her mother. “Mikhail can take you back to the house.”
The old man turned to her, anger in his eyes. “Now you listen to me, child. I don’t need no damn coddling. I will see this ended and that abomination destroyed, you hear?”
Rowan nodded, a smile touching her lips. “I hear.”
“Everything okay?” Kellen appeared at her side, his face tense, his eyes somber.
Rowan nodded. “Is everyone in place?”
“The Blackstones are in town patrolling with the Lawrences. The others are here along with Azaiel and his crew.” Kellen touched her cheek. “We’re ready. Let’s do this. Let’s end this once and for all. For Nana.”
“For Nana,” she whispered.
They entered the clearing, and she felt the weight of everyone’s gaze as she slowly made her way toward them. Her family. Her tribe. Her people. So many faces—aunts, cousins, the entire James coven—and all of them were here for her.
Frank nodded from across the clearing as he handed out modified weapons to the hunters who would patrol the woods. His face was tense, his expression fierce, his forehead covered in sweat. He winked and continued on, barking orders to the hunters.
Hannah stepped in front of her. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
Her blond hair had a blue streak down the middle, and she pointed to it, shrugging. “I decided to color-coordinate with Nico, but he didn’t find it amusing.” Hannah’s mouth tightened. “In fact he was kind of pissed off.”
